Aventail Capital Group LP Acquires 651,238 Shares of National Fuel Gas Company $NFG

Aventail Capital Group LP increased its holdings in shares of National Fuel Gas Company (NYSE:NFG) by 148.3% during the fourth quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The fund owned 1,090,380 shares of the oil and gas producer’s stock after buying an additional 651,238 shares during the period. National Fuel Gas comprises approximately 5.0% of Aventail Capital Group LP’s investment portfolio, making the stock its biggest holding. Aventail Capital Group LP’s holdings in National Fuel Gas were worth $87,296,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Fairscale Capital LLC acquired a new position in National Fuel Gas during the fourth quarter worth $29,000. HM Payson & Co. acquired a new position in National Fuel Gas during the fourth quarter worth $29,000. Eastern Bank acquired a new position in National Fuel Gas during the fourth quarter worth $42,000. Torren Management LLC acquired a new position in National Fuel Gas during the fourth quarter worth $49,000. Finally, Transamerica Financial Advisors LLC grew its holdings in National Fuel Gas by 58.7% during the fourth quarter. Transamerica Financial Advisors LLC now owns 719 shares of the oil and gas producer’s stock worth $58,000 after acquiring an additional 266 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 73.96% of the company’s stock.

National Fuel Gas Stock Down 1.2%

Shares of NYSE:NFG opened at $75.88 on Thursday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.55, a current ratio of 0.62 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.55. National Fuel Gas Company has a 52-week low of $75.27 and a 52-week high of $97.06. The stock’s fifty day simple moving average is $82.99 and its 200-day simple moving average is $84.95. The company has a market capitalization of $7.21 billion, a P/E ratio of 10.27, a P/E/G ratio of 1.69 and a beta of 0.37.

National Fuel Gas (NYSE:NFG) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 30th. The oil and gas producer reported $2.71 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $2.85 by ($0.14). National Fuel Gas had a net margin of 27.48% and a return on equity of 20.62%. The company had revenue of $858.37 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $856.57 million. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $2.39 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue was up 17.6% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities research analysts forecast that National Fuel Gas Company will post 7.58 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

National Fuel Gas Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, July 15th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, June 30th will be given a $0.555 dividend. This is an increase from National Fuel Gas’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.54. This represents a $2.22 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.9%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, June 30th. National Fuel Gas’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 28.96%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of brokerages recently weighed in on NFG. KeyCorp began coverage on National Fuel Gas in a report on Tuesday, April 7th. They set an “overweight” rating and a $110.00 price objective on the stock. Zacks Research raised National Fuel Gas from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, March 9th. Finally, Weiss Ratings lowered National Fuel Gas from a “buy (b+)” rating to a “buy (b)” rating in a report on Monday, June 8th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, two have given a Buy rating and two have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, National Fuel Gas presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $106.00.

National Fuel Gas Company Profile

National Fuel Gas Company (NYSE: NFG) is a diversified energy company engaged primarily in the production, gathering, transmission, distribution and marketing of natural gas. The company operates through four principal segments: Exploration & Production, Pipeline & Storage, Utilities, and Energy Marketing. Its integrated asset base spans upstream development in the Appalachian Basin, regional pipeline networks, underground storage facilities, and regulated utility distribution systems.

In its Exploration & Production segment, National Fuel Gas focuses on developing natural gas reserves in the Marcellus and Utica shales, leveraging modern drilling and completion techniques.